RAGE-1, partner agencies kick-off 18-day campaign to end VAW

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Nov. 30 (PIA) – The Region 1 Advocates for Gender Equality, Incorporated (RAGE-1) together with its partner agencies kicked-off the 18-day campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) on Wednesday.

This year’s celebration aims to strengthen local mechanisms and building on the required competencies of barangay officials in responding to VAW or gender-based violence-related situations.

According to RAGE-1 President Perla Sotelo, the objective of the campaign is to promote awareness on the forms of violence that women and girls experience and provide information on laws that protect them.

Further, Sotelo said that it is also focused on featuring various VAW-related services that people can access and avail as well as to strengthen the prevention and response system on VAW.

“It is laudable that the RAGE-1 is showing a great example of constancy in rallying to the cause of women and children amidst this widespread health crisis that we continue to experience, specifically this campaign to end VAW,” said the keynote speaker, La Union Vibrant Women’s Incorporated founder and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union Geraldine Ortega.

 

18-DAY CAMPAIGN TO END VAW - La Union Vibrant Women’s Incorporated founder and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union Geraldine Ortega, who served as the keynote speaker, delivers her message during the kick-off virtual program of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women spearheaded by the Region 1 Advocates on Gender Equality, Inc. on November 25, 2020. (AHFF/PIA-1)

 

“Aside from educating women, we should also educate the men to take care of their wives and children but however, women should also cooperate by not provoking their husbands and we should also understand the root or problem of those men who are committing these acts because it takes two to fight,” Ortega added.

During the kick-off activity, topics on mental health awareness, implementation of VAW desk laws, the role of the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) as gender-ombud and Republic Act 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 or the Safe Spaces Act were discussed by various speakers from the different regional line agencies.

These agencies include the Department of Health–Mental Health Program Unit, CHR, Philippine National Police – Police Regional Office, and Department of Justice in the Ilocos region.

Other partner agencies who made the event possible are the Commission on Population, Department of Science and Technology, the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the Philippine Information Agency.

About 250 participants from the regional line agencies, local government units, barangay officials, barangay health and wellness volunteers, and non-government organizations in the Ilocos attended the virtual kick-off ceremony.

Moreover, some of the activities for the campaign are radio programs to be conducted with partner radio stations, hanging of streamers and posting of online information in social media pages with partner agencies, women empowerment online trainings with the barangays as target beneficiaries, and the culminating program scheduled on December 9.

 

18-DAY CAMPAIGN TO END VAW - About 250 participants from various government agencies, local government units, barangay offiicials and workers, and non-government organizations in the Ilocos Region participate on the kick-off virtual program of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women organized by the Region 1 Advocates on Gender Equality, Inc. on November 25, 2020. (AHFF/PIA-1)

 

Furthermore, data from the National Demographic Health Survey 2017, released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, showed that one in four Filipino women, aged 15-49, has experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence from their husband or partner.  

While the global estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that about one in three women (35 percent) worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence from intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime.

VAW is one of the country’s pervasive social problems and various measures and mechanisms have been employed and implemented to address it.

The 18-Day Campaign to End VAW is an advocacy campaign that is observed annually from November 25 to December 12 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 1172 series of 2006 with the recurring theme: “VAW-Free Community Starts with Me”. (JCR/AMB/AHFF/PIA-1)

 


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